der Maler
painter
An artist who paints pictures.
EXAMPLE
Vincent van Gogh ist einer der berühmtesten Maler der Kunstgeschichte.
Vincent van Gogh is one of the most famous painters in art history.
der Maler
painter
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Meanings
der Maler
painter / decorator
A tradesperson who paints the walls, ceilings, and facades of buildings.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben einen Maler beauftragt, das Wohnzimmer neu zu streichen.
We hired a painter to repaint the living room.
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'der Maler' (painter) is derived directly from the verb 'malen' (to paint). It therefore refers to a person who paints—either as an artist or as a tradesperson.
EXAMPLE
Wer hat dieses wunderschöne Porträt gemalt?
Who painted this beautiful portrait?
Context clue
You can tell from the context whether the artist or the tradesperson is meant. Words like 'Kunst' (art), 'Galerie' (gallery), or 'Gemälde' (painting) point to the artist, while 'Wand' (wall), 'streichen' (to paint), or 'renovieren' (to renovate) refer to the tradesperson.
EXAMPLE
Der Maler hat die Fassade des Hauses neu gestrichen.
The painter repainted the facade of the house.
Typical collocations
In a trades context, the word is often used with certain verbs. Typical phrases are 'einen Maler rufen' (to call a painter), 'einen Maler beauftragen' (to hire a painter), or 'der Maler kommt vorbei' (the painter is coming by).
EXAMPLE
Für die Renovierung müssen wir einen Maler beauftragen.
We need to hire a painter for the renovation.
Compare with
Maler vs Streicher
string player / strings / painter
For someone who paints walls or facades, both Maler and Streicher are possible in principle. Maler is the usual standard word, while Streicher is less common today or used regionally in this sense. In everyday situations, Maler is therefore usually the better choice.
Maler
Für die Renovierung unserer Wohnung haben wir einen Maler beauftragt.
We hired a painter to renovate our apartment.
Streicher
In dieser Gegend nennt man den Handwerker, der die Wände streicht, manchmal einen Streicher.
In this area, the tradesperson who paints walls is sometimes called a “Streicher.”
In real life
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